Chargers Say: Hello McMahon, Hello Injury, Hello Controversy

Jim McMahon, the quarterback with the Midas touch and the mighty mouth, delivered only half of what the Chargers might have expected Sunday in his regular-season debut.

He failed to lead them to a season-opening victory over the Raiders. But he did provide that much-anticipated touch of controversy.

Fittingly, the topic was an injury. Injuries are a McMahon staple, just another part of what the Chargers bargained for when they acquired McMahon and his assorted scars, bumps and bruises three weeks ago from the Chicago Bears for a conditional draft choice.

The trouble this time was a case of sore ribs that McMahon said he earned on a goal-line play midway through the third quarter of a 40-14 loss at the Coliseum.

McMahon tried to scramble into the end zone from four yards out but was met head on at the one by Raider linebackers Thomas Benson, a former Charger, and Otis Wilson, a former Bear.

On the next play, rookie running back Marion Butts dived over for his second touchdown to draw the Chargers to 28-14 with 10:06 left in the third quarter. But that was the end of the game for McMahon, who was seven of 18 passing for 91 yards to that point.

“The inside linebacker (Benson) hit me pretty good,” McMahon said.

None of the principles disputed that; it was what happened afterward that provided little agreement and created the first true controversy of the brief McMahon tenure.

It was an injury that Coach Dan Henning repeatedly declined to acknowledge in his post-game comments, even in the face of conflicting player statements that threatened the credibility of his denials.

McMahon was replaced at quarterback on the next series by David Archer. As for the reasons, it is best, but not totally unconfusing, to let the major parties explain.

Archer said McMahon was injured and removed himself from the game: “Jim didn’t feel right. He is not the kind of guy who will take himself out of a game for a slight hit. He obviously was jarred pretty good.”

McMahon acknowledged that he bruised his ribs but said the injury was not enough to keep him out: “I was told (by Henning) to come out.”

As for Henning, he could not bring himself to say McMahon was injured, regardless of what others said.

In his initial post-game comments, Henning said he took McMahon out because he wanted to give Archer some playing time in a comeback situation: “McMahon is not hurt to my knowledge.”

Later when told that some of the players said McMahon left because he was hurt, Henning said: “If McMahon is hurt, that is another thing, but that is not why I put Archer in the ballgame.” Then asked if McMahon was hurt, Henning replied: “I don’t think he is hurt.”

A few minutes later, after McMahon told a crowd of reporters he had bruised ribs, Henning was asked again if McMahon had indicated he was hurt before he was removed. “No,” Henning said. “He indicated to me that he could go back in the ballgame. The doctors indicated to me he could go back in the ballgame. But I chose to put David Archer in the ballgame.”

Archer took over with 6:37 left in the third quarter and the Chargers on their own three. Henning only hinted if the move had anything to do with McMahon’s tender ribs and the Chargers’ woeful field position.

“I didn’t want to put Jim in a position where he would be on the firing line the whole game,” Henning said. “The idea is to come out of the game with two healthy quarterbacks. . . . If we had cut the lead to seven points,” Henning said, “I was ready to put McMahon back in.”

No chance of that. The Raiders scored the final 12 points as McMahon spent a good portion of the rest of the game talking on the sideline with team physician Dr. Gary Losse.

“He was throwing fine (after the injury),” said Losse, who then added with a lowered voice, “I can’t talk.”

Although Losse could not comment, initial indications were that the injury was not serious. McMahon sprinted up the tunnel toward the Charger locker room after the game and said X-rays were not taken at the Coliseum.

“I’ll be all right,” McMahon said. “I’ll be back.”

And, chances are, so will the controversy.